Ralph Peters, Fox's “Strategic Analyst” On Foreign Policy, Has A History Of Inflammatory Rhetoric

Retired Army officer and novelist Ralph Peters is regularly presented by Fox News as a “strategic analyst” to discuss foreign policy issues, despite his long history of inflammatory anti-Muslim rhetoric and regular smears of President Obama.

Peters Has A Long History Of Inflammatory Rhetoric

Peters On U.S. Consulate Attack In Libya: “They Kill Four Of Ours, You Kill 400 Of Theirs.” During the September 13 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, Peters labeled President Obama “indecisive, fearful” and “duplicitous” in regards to his foreign policy following the U.S. consulate attack in Libya. Peters went on to say “in this part of the world, the only thing these radical Islamist fanatics understand is brute force. They kill four of ours, you kill 400 of theirs. Nothing else works. ... When our people are killed, you kill them in large numbers.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends9/13/12, via Media Matters]

Peters Dismissed Danger To U.S. Citizens Living In Libya During Revolution. During the February 23, 2011, edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly explained that the White House didn't come out against former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi immediately because it wanted to remove all Americans from Libya first to insure their safety. Peters called this notion “pure spin” and a “red herring.” [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor2/23/11, via Media Matters]

Peters On Fort Hood Shooting: “It's Clear That The Problem Is Islam.” During the November 10, 2009, edition of The O'Reilly Factor, Peters used the Fort Hood shooting to smear Islam as a violent religion, asking, "[W]here are the Southern Baptist suicide bombers? Where are the Methodist marketplace massacre types? It's clear that the problem is Islam." Peters made a same claim on Fox two months earlier, asserting, “I am sick of hearing that Islam is a religion of peace. ... I haven't seen a lot of Southern Baptist suicide bombers.” [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor11/12/099/10/09, via Media Matters]

Peters Called Muslims “A Protected Species, A Protected Minority” In Rant About PC Culture. During the November 6, 2009, edition of The O'Reilly Factor, Peters complained about the politically correct culture in the wake of the Fort Hood shooting, calling Muslims “a protected species, a protected minority.” Three days later, Peters appeared on Fox and again said the Fort Hood shooter was a “protected species” as a Muslim officer in the U.S. military. [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor11/6/0911/9/09, via Media Matters]

Peters: If Soldier Held By The Taliban Is A Deserter, “The Taliban Can Save Us A Lot Of Legal Hassles And Legal Bills.” In a July 2009 Fox appearance, Peters blasted the Taliban-captured Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl as a “liar” and said that "[w]e're not sure if he's a deserter." Peters added that if Bergdahl is a deserter, “the Taliban can save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills.” [Fox News, America's News HQ7/19/09, via Media Matters]

Peters On Guantánamo Detainees: “Once You Commit An Act Of Terror ... You Should Be Killed.” On the May 26, 2009, edition of Your World, host Neil Cavuto asked Peters what he would have done with Guantánamo Bay detainees. Peters replied: “I am not worried about the human or legal rights of terrorists. ... Once you commit an act of terror, in my book, you are outside, you are anathema, and you should be killed.” [Fox News,Your World5/26/09, via Media Matters]

Peters Regularly Smears President Obama 

Peters' “Bit Of Hyperbole”: “President Obama Doesn't Have A National Security Council, He Has A Politburo.” During the September 26 edition of Your World, Peters criticized Obama's foreign policy by saying, in a “bit of hyperbole,” that “President Obama doesn't have a National Security Council, he has a Politburo. Everything is seen through a political lens.” [Fox News, Your World9/26/12, via Media Matters]

Peters Compared Obama To Islamic Extremists Because They Both Supposedly Blame “America's Rich For All Our Ills.” During the September 17 edition of Your World, Peters said there is an “uncanny resemblance between President Obama blaming America's rich for all our ills and the Islamic extremists blaming rich America for all their ills. On one level, we're seeing global class warfare.” [Fox News,Your World with Neil Cavuto9/17/12, via Media Matters]

Peters: Obama's “Appeasement” Policy “Didn't Work With The Nazis,” Won't Work Against “Radical Islamists.” During the September 13 edition of America Live, Peters said Obama has a “policy of appeasement” in the Middle East. Peters continued, “Appeasement didn't work with the Nazis ... and it hasn't worked over the last almost four years with the constant apologies to radical Islamists.” [Fox News, America Live9/13/12, via Media Matters]

Peters Claimed “Reading The Body Language” Allowed Him To Conclude That Obama Is Anti-Israel. During the September 8 edition Fox & Friends Saturday, host Dave Briggs asked Peters to refute the “concrete things that the Obama administration has done,” asking, “What have they done that you say conflicts with that not negotiable support of Israel? ” Peters claimed his experience at “reading the body language” helped him draw the conclusion that Obama is anti-Israel, saying: “As a former intel officer, you really listen to what's unsaid ... look at what's not done.” [Fox News, Fox & Friends Saturday9/8/12, via Media Matters]

Peters On DHS Secretary Napolitano: A “Politically Correct Appointment, Period”; “Appearance And Physical Presence Matter.” In an interview with FrontPageMag.com, Peters was asked about his view of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. He called her a “politically correct appointment, period.” He also said, “There's another, unfortunate, side to this. When representing our country, especially on security matters, appearance and physical presence matter. It would be great if that were not so, but facts are facts. Even if Napolitano were a security genius, she doesn't project a forceful, capable image to our deadly enemies (or to our allies).” [FrontPageMag.com, 1/8/10, via Media Matters]

Peters Claimed It's “Shocking” That “Eight Years After 9/11, We Have A President Who Doesn't Think It Was Any Big Deal.” On The O'Reilly Factor, O'Reilly asked Peters what two things disturbed him the most about the eighth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. In response, Peters claimed that “we've forgotten ”the “the shock, the horror, the rage, the justified rage” of 9/11 and also that the “other thing that's shocking is that we -- eight years after 9/11, we have a president who doesn't think it was any big deal.” [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor9/10/09, via Media Matters]

Peters Claimed Obama “Clearly Has A Massive Third World Chip On His Shoulder.” On the June 8, 2009, edition of Fox & Friends, Ralph Peters attacked Obama's visit to the Middle East, saying, "[T]he Europeans wanted Obama so badly, and we all heard about how bad Bush was for our relations with Europe. Now you've got a president who clearly has a massive Third World chip on his shoulder, and he has worsened our relations with Europe." [Fox News, Fox and Friends6/8/09, via Media Matters